Maker
by Signless
Summary: Godric's in trouble: the Magister knows he killed his Maker, and he's to be punished for it, but he cannot be given the death penalty. Instead, he's to turn another human into a young vampire and teach it how to live as a creature of the night. GodricxOC. HIATUS. I haven't seen True Blood since... a year ago maybe. I stopped at around season 3. Till I watch it again its cancelled.
1. The Magister's Verdict

**"Cannibal" inspired by the song by Ke$ha. A GodricXOC fanfic.**

**Summary: Godric has been found out: someone told the Magister he had killed his Maker. He is to be punished for it, but his age and position mean he cannot be given the death penalty. Instead, he is to turn another human into a young vampire and teach it how to live as a creature of the night. (set before Fellowship of the Sun drama)**

**Please read/enjoy, and review my story. This is my first attempt at True Blood fanfiction, and... well I'm nervous! Haha. I got this idea after reading up Godric's past, when it said he'd run from the Ancient vampires to avoid punishment for killing his Maker... I thought, "what if they finally caught him?" so this came up. I hope you like it. **

**Flames will be used to burn down the Fellowship of the Sun church :3 (haha, so original...)**

Eric stood behind his Maker, glaring at the Magister with all the hate and vicious intent he could muster. He had heard from the "grapevine" that Godric was being punished for a murder that had occurred thousands of years ago.

First of all, this was ridiculous. Godric was an old, respected vampire. There wasn't much they could do to punish him by now. Secondly, Eric was furious that Godric hadn't been the one to inform him that he was being punished. The betrayal stung at him like an angry wasp. He knew Godric was trying to protect him, possibly because his loyalty to his Maker, added with his temper, was a dangerous combination. He only wished that his Maker would put more trust in Eric's temperament.

"Godric." Eric was brought back from his thoughts by the Magister's cold voice. He tensed, knowing that Godric was about to face his punishment, "due to the fact that you are important to the vampire society, I have decided not to have you executed or remove your fangs." Eric nearly let out a sigh of relief, but kept himself from doing so. He shouldn't think so soon, after all. The Magister still had to hand out his verdict. The magister continued on, uninterrupted.

"Your punishment for killing your Maker is to create a new vampire, one to replace the one you so foolishly murdered. You will teach it properly so that it can survive on its own. _I will be the one to decide whether the child is ready to be on its own, not you._ Oh, and if you refuse, I'll simply kill the human we have prepared for you. Do I make myself clear?" he drawled. This was the same punishment Bill Compton had received, Eric remembered with a grimace. This punishment would disturb Godric greatly, he knew. He could already feel his Maker's jumbled emotions.

"… I accept these terms to my punishment. I will raise my next progeny until its full maturity." His voice was full of pain, and Eric felt from their bond that he was immensely disturbed by the verdict and undoubtedly angry. What he was angry about, Eric could only guess. The possibilities really were endless.

"Perfect. They should have _it _here by now. Dmitri! Bring out the female blood bag." A dark-skinned vampire stood from the sidelines, and with a nod toward the Magister, disappeared into the old warehouse behind them. He came back only moments later with a petite human girl.

It was hard to guess this girl's age—Eric had long since lost his ability to sense ages by looking at a human's features, but he guessed she was around eighteen to twenty. At the very least, she seemed just old enough to be a college student. Her face still maintained some of her childhood innocence, brought on mostly by her large, green eyes. Her white Roman-coined skirt and soft peach blouse was torn at the edges and had dirt stains that had probably come from when the vampires kidnapped her, and her tanned skin (a trait most humans seemed to have), made her all the more enticing, partnered significantly with her mid-length, light brown hair. One simple glance, and Eric knew she was no "fangbanger".

Eric let his eyes drift all over her body, analyzing what would become his "sister", of sorts. Already he could tell she wouldn't be a very frightening vampire, something Godric could surely appreciate. When his gaze returned to the girl's face, he then noticed that her eyes were filled with the usual horrification that came from being surrounded by a large gathering of "scary" vampires. However, the girl didn't scream, nor utter even a sound. Eric would have bet his money a blood bag (he stopped himself after realizing he'd called his "soon-to-be-sister" a blood bag, but then decided he didn't actually care either way) like her would have let out the most horrific screech and dashed away to "safety" if she very well could have.

Her eyes were _everywhere._ Eric knew escape was impossible, and maybe the girl knew it too, because all she seemed to be looking at were the vampires. She might have been analyzing them, or maybe just trying to figure out why the hell she was there, but obviously wasn't coming up with any ideas. Her earlier fear intensified when she saw all the hungry looks being thrown at her.

"How curious, that the human isn't screaming even now." The Magister sneered, amused. The girl tried to shrink back, but Dmitri didn't allow it. "Why won't you scream?" he growled at her. She gulped and glued her eyes to the broken pavement beneath her.

"B-because no one will hear my cries." She whispered. The Magister barked out a vicious laugh, causing the girl to flinch.

"Right you are. You've come a long way from home. You found this blood bag in California, Dmitri?" Dmitri nodded, smirking.

"Damn blood bag screamed the whole way here. I'm surprised she hasn't lost her voice by now." He informed. Jeers came from the vampires surrounding them. Normally, Eric would at least smirk at this, but Godric's predicament sickened him immensely. He couldn't find it in himself to get amusement out of the girl's misery, because her misery was shared with Godric's.

"See how much care I took for you, Godric? To bring a human all the way her, from out of her state, to Texas, so that she wouldn't be recognized by anyone and cause… unfortunate circumstances." Godric's response was a small grimace, which only helped to fuel Eric's anger. He hated to see his Maker in such pain. The Magister then motioned for Dmitri to bring the girl to Godric's side and leaned back in his "throne", smiling at their misfortune.

"Do you know what we're going to do with you, human?" he asked suddenly. The girl jumped and squeaked in terror, before uttering a small "no, sir". Her meek fear of him only seemed to boost his ego.

"You're going to become one of us." He clarified, then paused and glance at Godric menacingly. "But if Godric refuses to turn you, we'll kill you. I'm sure you taste just _lovely_." He grinned, showing off his fangs at her. The vampires around them cheered, creeping closer. Godric raised his head and wrapped his hand around the girl's wrist, pulling her toward him as gently as he could.  
>"There is no need to threaten either of us. I will accept my punishment." He growled, his green eyes flickering with anger. The Magister nodded and waved his hand.<p>

"Then get to it. We will watch to be sure it's done." _Of course they have to watch, _Eric thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, _if they didn't Godric would never do it._ Dmitri, who still had a slight hold on the girl, pushed her forward into Godric's arms, who caught her willingly and set her back on her feet.

Godric looked into the girl's eyes, searching through them silently. Eric was not sure what he found there, but it had saddened Godric even more. She must be afraid of him—Godric always got upset when humans were wary of him. Eric watched as the vampire around them grew impatient when Godric tucked a stray strand of the girl's brown hair behind her ear.  
>"What is your name, child?" he asked her. She bit her lip and tried to look away from Godric's penetrating gaze, but he grabbed her chin and forced her to keep her eyes on him. He didn't want her to see the reactions of the surrounding vampires, for he knew that would only cause her more worry. The poor girl was already scarred enough from what his kind was doing to her, and the fact that they would only continue to do so in her new life as a vampire concerned him. He wanted to shield the girl from as much as he could. The girl trembled slightly but neither Godric nor Eric could have blamed her.<p>

"What is your name?" he repeated, his voice softening to try and put her at ease. He watched as she took a shaky breath.

"Acacia." Godric gave her his infamous half-smile and placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him. _Figures that her name would symbolize immortality, _Eric thought, amused. He could tell that Godric was just as amused as he. Eric almost wondered if the Magister picked this girl because of her name, for humor's sake, but dismissed the thought. The Magister's sense of humor only consisted of sadistic intent.

"I am Godric. I am sorry for taking away your humanity, Acacia." His words seemed to break something in Acacia and tears began to flow down from her solemn green eyes. Godric wiped some away with his thumb.

"I don't blame you." She whispered, just as Godric leaned down and bit into her neck, draining her of her essence of life.

Acacia woke up feeling positively _awful._ She was placed on a large bed, dressed in a man's clothing, and a heavy thirst burned her throat. She groaned, and as soon as the sound escaped her lips, a man appeared beside her, crouched on the bed.

_Godric._ Her mind told her, and the memory that she'd thought had merely been a bad dream resurfaced. Tears stung at her vision as she looked up at him, making her bite her lip to prevent them. She didn't like to cry in front of others. She could only imagine how she looked to him right now. She guessed it would be something like a "kicked puppy" look.

"I am glad that you have awoken." He said quietly, his green-gray eyes scanning her face. "How do you feel, little one?" Acacia bit her lip again—a bad habit she'd picked up from her mother—and looked down at her outfit. Godric caught on immediately.

"I had nothing your size to change you into, and your clothes were filthy." He informed her, "I had my underling, Isobel, dress you, but waited for you to wake before offering you time to bathe." A bath was something Acacia certainly needed. Although the clothes were clean, every part of Acacia's body was covered in a layer of dirt. She'd never been so dirty before. It wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling.

"I—feel thirsty." She admitted to him, answering his earlier question. She looked back up at him meekly to see him giving her a sad smile. He placed a bottle of "True Blood" into her hands, as if he had expected her to be thirsty when she first awoke as a vampire. He probably did, being a vampire himself. His experience had come from his many years being alive.

"I will help you decide which Blood Type suits you more in the near future. I'd like you to at least sate your thirst for now, though." Godric brushed some of her hair back. Acacia guessed it must be a developing habit of his own. She didn't mind; in fact, she rather liked it when he touched her, however strange that must have sounded.

Nodding, Acacia looked down at the open bottle, sniffed it, and grimaced.  
>"It <em>smells<em>!" she complained. A chuckle burst from Godric's lips, making his eyes crinkle up with joy and his body quivered slightly.  
>"Oh, my child, you have so much to learn." He said lovingly, playing with her hair. Acacia frowned, taking a sip of the disgusting substance.<p>

"Godric," she started, sounding out his name slowly. She loved the feel of his name on her tongue, "am I… am I really a vampire now?" she asked him. There was a small part of her that seemed to be in denial over her change. Godric nodded solemnly, his gaze never leaving her face. That part in her was crushed as result, and tears flowed down her face for the second time in front of Godric. When she went to wipe them away, instead of her fingers coming away with the normal clear, salty tears, they came away bloody and red. It proved her suspicions without any doubt.

Acacia was a vampire.

**Hi! I edited this chapter a little (more like, only one sentence which I left unfinished. I don't even remember what I was going to write, so I just came up with something random. You know how those little, unimportant sentences make everything sound so much better? Yeah. It was one of those), so uh. Yeah. :) I'm working on chapter two right now, I just looked back to check what was going on again before continuing. I forget things easily. -.-'  
>I'm really hoping to get a beta reader soon. I've already messaged two that I'm interested in, but the position remains open. Maybe some of you can help? Refer me to someone, or offer yourself? (that sounds wrong, sorry, but I don't know how to rephrase that! xD)<br>It's my first time with a Beta reader and all, so I'm pretty nervous and clueless to how it works... I hope you guys will bare with me! Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed so far tonight. I'll give you all a shout out in chapter two, I promise (should I not do that? would you be embarrassed? haha...)  
>If there are any more mistakes you notice, please let me know. I'll be happy to fix them right up! Sometimes I get lost in my own little world, so I don't know what I'm doing with my stories. I often have to re-read them to get the gist of things...<strong>

**If you read all that hopeless rambling up there ^ I really, really love you. LOL**

**If you didn't... still know I'm looking for a Beta Reader person. I'd love it if you could help point me in the right direction!**


	2. Glamour

**So, here's chapter two. I'm still looking for a Beta. Oh, and one more thing. I think I should change the name of this story to "Maker". What do you think? Please leave your opinion in a review, or send me a PM. I love you guys 3**

**Thanks to you guys who've reviewed: Foryourentertainment6, Superdani a.k.a Gillian Smith, msjackson, DarkAngel620, Xtyne, BlueEyesDrowning, sockmonkies4ever, kingdomfantasyanime453, and Aoi Nami-chan. Whew! That's a lot of you. You guys inspired me to keep writing! I hope you like chapter two as much as chapter one, I'm kind of exploring different ways of writing.**

**Welcome to Chapter Two: Glamour**

It had taken awhile for Acacia to finally calm down, and Godric turned out to be every bit as awkward in comforting a crying girl as a normal, human man would be. Acacia still gave him points for trying, though. He was the most gentle and serene vampire she'd ever met. Not that she'd met many vampires, anyway, besides the ones who snatched her right off the streets of San Diego, California. She didn't want her thoughts to linger on that, though. She'd much rather think of Godric, and how kind he was turning out to be, or even her old friends in Cali.

Her friends back home must be so worried about her by now. She'd been taken about a month ago, right after she'd left their company at a party. Speaking of parties, they'd probably be going crazy with search parties, too. She loved having such great friends, but Godric told her later on that if her missing-person case got too public, it could cause problems for the both of them. She had to agree. Now that she was a vampire, she decided she'd avoid contact with her old friends. It'd probably be the best precaution to take; it'd keep both groups safe. Deciding that the topic of her friends was too depressing to think about, she switched to something more important in her new life. Godric.

At first, Acacia hated Godric with every fiber of her being, despite what she'd told him before he'd turned her. Most of her hatred had probably come from how she felt it was _his_ fault that her life as a human was destroyed, even though she knew that if his punishment hadn't been to turn her, she'd either be food for a nest of vampires, or dead. Then later, when she saw (or rather, _felt._ That Maker-Progeny bond helped explain a lot) he was just as broken up about this as she was, she softened up with understanding. He hated this just as much as her. She'd just been blinded by her fury and desperately needed someone to blame, and what better target than her own Maker?

However, as time went on, Acacia became more and more aware of the bond between Godric and herself. He'd told her it'd be more prominent the closer they got, and it was true. Whether they grew physically or psychologically closer, the bond got stronger and more noticeable to her. It was the bond that always formed between a Maker and their Progeny, and it gave her the ability to feel Godric's emotions and, if she concentrated, it could even tell her where he was—not that she ever had a problem with finding him. He rarely wandered off alone, and most of the time she stuck close to him, despite being assured she was completely safe within his "nest". She'd never been much of an independent person, so the fact that Godric graciously allowed her to follow him around like a baby duckling (or, in this case, a baby _vampire_) kept her comfortable, to some standard.

Currently, Acacia sat on the white couch in the main room of Godric's home, an untouched bottle of O+ True Blood placed in her lap (they'd hadn't found out which Blood type she liked most yet, since Godric had been busy, but she liked O+ so far). Across from her was Isobel, one of Godric's Lieutenants. Godric was sitting not far from the both of them, quietly going over what Acacia assumed to be "important vampire business", his stature relaxed but also completely exhausted. Isobel, on the other hand, was full of energy and zest as she explained the complicated Vampire Ruling System to Acacia. Needless to say, Acacia couldn't be more bored.

"—and as you know by now, Godric himself is what we call a 'Sheriff', and Stan and I are his 'Lieutenants'. There is one Sheriff assigned for each area of each State, that is picked by the King or Queen of their state. In Godric's case, he is Sheriff of Area Nine, otherwise known as Dallas!" Isobel paused to take a sip of her own bottle of True Blood, and looked up to meet Acacia's more-or-less apathetic gaze. "Sorry, I know I'm boring you, but this is important stuff." She apologized, offering Acacia a knowing smile. Acacia shrugged and returned the smile, hers noticeably smaller and more modest than the older woman's.  
>"If I have to learn it, then I'll just have to suck it up. How do you expect me to have survived High School all these years? Staying awake during Calculus and History is no easy feat, you know!" Acacia said lightly, trying to lift the mood. It seemed to work, because Isobel laughed (a beautiful sound, Acacia was quick to admit) and Godric, who remained silent up until now, gave a small twitch at the corner of his lips.<br>"How about we give this a break for now? I'm _dying_ to do something productive!" Isobel asked, her eyes shining. Acacia jumped up immediately, nearly bouncing on her heels, before she remembered Godric. She glanced at him meekly, wondering if he wanted to join them, or even if he'd allow her to escape her lessons for a little while. Like always, Godric was quick to catch on.  
>"Enjoy some fun with Isobel, Acacia. I seem to have been pressuring you too much lately." He said softly. He then disappeared from his spot on the white armchair but reappeared only moments later, holding a credit card in his hand, which he handed over to Isobel.<br>"You should take her out for awhile, show her around the city, and perhaps even take her shopping." He told her. Isobel hesitated slightly before nodding, giving her superior a respectful half-bow. He was about to return to his chair when he felt a tug at his sleeve, and when he looked towards it, he saw his youngest progeny frowning at him in dismay. He could tell clearly from their bond that her displeasure was even stronger than what she was displaying.  
>"You're not going to come with us?" she asked, her voice laced with irritation. Sure, she was being a little clingy with him, something she wasn't very proud of, but she felt safe with Godric around. It was almost like nothing could touch her.<br>"She's right, Sheriff. This is her first time to leave the nest since joining us a month ago. I… I think it'd be best, for everyone, if you were to accompany her on her first outing as well." Isobel hesitated, as if worried that Godric might reprimand her for speaking up. He didn't, however. It wasn't often Godric got angry or insulted by anything. There was a pregnant pause as he considered what she said.  
>"I suppose it'd be best to come along." He said slowly. Of course, Godric knew it was best that he stay close to his youngest child. Younger vampires were always the most dangerous, the most unpredictable, and although he severely doubted there was much violence in little Acacia, he knew it was "better to be safe than sorry". As her Maker, it was his job to watch over and guide her along the right path, and he intended to do so. After seeing how he'd failed with Eric, he was willing to try once more, to mold her into a decent, peaceful vampire.<p>

The time it took for the trio to get to one of the many major shopping centers in Dallas was short and uneventful. As they passed countless restaurants, hotels, and clubs, Acacia gazed at them all with a forlorn longing, knowing she would never be a part of that world again. She truly missed her humanity, and she wasn't going to hide it from anyone.

"Godric," she began slowly as they walked the steps into a large mall, "why do we need to go shopping if Isobel and I already bought clothes and stuff online? I'm happy with what I have…" Acacia bit her lip and glanced up at him as she spoke. She didn't like being spoiled like this. Her mother had raised her to believe she had to work to deserve what she got, and to be polite and thankful when people gave her things. There'd always be a guilty nagging in the back of her head, and it told her she didn't want people to spend too much money on her. The only time she accepted gifts with no argument was her birthdays and Christmas celebrations—and even then, she didn't really like getting super expensive stuff. She had to admit, her mother had trained her very well.

"You are my child, and I will make sure that you have everything you want. We will be together for many years, until you are able to be on your own." He answered. Acacia nearly cringed at how robotic he sounded.  
>"But, still… my human mother gave <em>birth <em>to me and even she didn't spoil me so bad. She said it'd turn me rotten, like that mean little girl who lived across the street…" when she caught Isobel and Godric's surprised looks, she quickly added, "Mother was always very particular about things. She just wanted me to be a good kid, that's all. She used to always say that the kids these days thought they deserved to get whatever they wanted, without lifting a finger. She didn't want me to be like that, so—" Isobel laughed, cutting Acacia's nervous rambling short.  
>"Don't worry, Thorn, we understand completely. Your mother sounds like a wonderful lady." Her words made a smile, the largest and happiest the two older vampires had ever seen from Acacia, grown on her face.<p>

"Ooh, yes! Mother was always so perfect—at least in my head, anyway. She could tell the most amazing stories, too, and oh, Mother may not have been supermodel material, but to me, she was the prettiest thing I had ever seen!" on and on Acacia went about her human mother, telling Isobel and Godric all about the small, happy details that she could remember. It was as if Isobel had opened up a floodgate and everything came rushing out, one after the other.

Godric found himself smiling at her joy, enjoying the feeling of her happiness through their bond while they found some more outfits or accessories for her to wear. Mostly, though, Acacia seemed drawn to the little art store by the food court. It was where they spent most of their time, and where Acacia seemed to find even more things to tell them about her mother. How her mother taught her to draw, how her mother loved the color of peach against Acacia's tanned skin, and countless little things. In the end, Godric was glad that he had come along. He had learned so much more about his little one's life prior to coming into his, more than he would have ever hoped to learn on his own. The only thing that bothered him was that Acacia kept referring to her mother as simply that: Mother. He knew that children in this time gave their mothers more affectionate names, like Mom or Mommy. He briefly considered that maybe her mother was abusive of some sort, but dismissed the thought. There was no way Acacia's mother could be abusive and yet be so loved by her child. He assumed she was simply old fashioned.

Acacia paused in front of another store and turned to face Godric and Isobel, who had followed behind her as she wandered around. She looked confused as she looked up at Isobel.  
>"You called me 'Thorn' earlier." She mumbled, "what's that supposed to mean?" Isobel laughed at reached out to stroke a strand of Acacia's brown hair back lovingly.<p>

"Oh, sweetie, don't you know what your name means? Acacia is Latin for 'Thorny'." She told her, her face amused. Acacia shook her head.

"I know that—actually, it's Greek, but that doesn't matter." Acacia glanced over at Godric, but quickly redirected her gaze when she saw him staring right back at her, unblinking. If she were human, she would have flushed in embarrassment. Isobel shrugged at her and looked into the store they stood in front of.  
>"A video game store? Acacia, do you like video games?" Isobel asked.<p>

"Well, yeah. I've been playing video games since my brother first handed me the controller." Isobel's brow raised.  
>"How old were you then?"<p>

"About five or six, I think. Now that I think about it, maybe it was my dad who first introduced me to video games. I remember playing the really old version of Tomb Raider…" Acacia hummed with thought as she, too, looked over at the store blankly. Godric, who remained silent the whole time, placed his free hand on Acacia's shoulder.

"You are troubled, my child. What is wrong?" he asked her, trying to get her to look in his eyes. He didn't have to try very hard.  
>"Nothing's wrong, I just… miss my family. It's hard to know that I'll never see them again." Godric's eyes were unreadable as he released Acacia's shoulder and stepped back. Acacia could still feel his sadness through their bond, though.<br>"You can always still go see them, Acacia. I will not stop you from seeing your human family." He told her, habitually brushing a brown piece of hair behind her ear.

"Godric…" Acacia said, feeling his emotions stabbing at her heart. She hated it when he would get depressed, and not only because their bond made it so that she felt his pain. His sadness scared her greatly. She hoped that he would never act out with his emotions and cause harm to himself. She'd seen it happen with one of her friends before, and it hadn't ended well.

Godric smiled down at her, having felt her worry, and turned her around so she faced in the opposite direction, placing his hand on the small of her back.

"Let's bring your bags home, and then we'll figure out your favorite blood type. Isobel, will you be coming along?" Isobel followed along behind them quickly as they exited the mall.  
>"Of course, Sheriff." But as they made their way down the street, a woman stepped in front of them and spat at the group.<br>"You goddamn blood suckers, running around like you own the place! You're demons, all of ya, and we will not rest until God's beautiful earth is rid of each and every one of you monsters!" she shrieked. Her breath reeked of alcohol, her brown eyes were dilated, and her blond hair was messy. All in all, Acacia thought she looked absolutely crazy. The woman's insanity didn't stop the hurt that filled Acacia, and she hid her face in the back of Godric's grey shirt to mask the building tears. She felt Godric's body stiffen at her touch, then relax as he realized who it was.

"I suggest you leave, Miss." He spoke, his voice the perfect picture of calm. The woman sneered at him, then zeroed in on Acacia, picking her as the easy target.  
>"You think hidin' behind some god-forsaken vamp will save you from God's wrath? I bet'cha was a Fangbanger when you was human, wasn't you? God will have no mercy on your blackened soul, you wretched whore from Hell!" Godric's body went rigid at the woman's attack, his eyes darkening considerably as Acacia began to sob silently, her bloody tears staining the back of his shirt.<br>"Apologize to my child." He said coldly, pushing the woman into the wall of a nearby building. No one even paid attention to them, apparently too busy with their own lives to care about a group of vampires surrounding a frail human.

The woman glared defiantly up at Godric, unrelenting even when her life was in danger.

"I will do no such thing! That little demon will pay for her sins on the Day of Reckoning, and your kind will all be sent straight to the fiery pits of—" she choked as Godric's hand shot out, tightening around her neck.  
>"Apologize. <em>Now."<em> Isobel, who stood by silently, reached out and pulled Acacia back into her own arms, encircling her completely. The Latina didn't need to have any sort of bond with the younger girl to see the pain she was in.

Gagging, the woman tried to push Godric away, her own tiny hands wrapping around his. His hand squeezed, and she coughed harshly.  
>"I'm—sorry." She whispered hoarsely. Godric stared at her, his eyes narrowing.<br>"Do not apologize to me. Apologize to my daughter!" he growled out, pulling the woman forward so she stood in front of Acacia and Isobel. Acacia blanched when her gaze met the woman's. She could see the hatred burning within them.  
>"I'm sorry, okay!" the woman cried, writhing to try and escape Godric's grip. Acacia swallowed, wiping away one of her bloody tears.<br>"Why do you hate vampires so much?" she asked the woman, her voice slightly shaking. The woman froze.  
>"I—I don't have to tell you anything!" Godric suddenly had a strange look on his face and he started walking along the edge of the building, pulling the woman along behind him. Confused, Isobel and Acacia followed as he led them into an alley. Acacia couldn't help but scoff at the cliché air of it all. A bunch of vampires cornering a human in a dark alley? She couldn't help but wonder sometimes, really.<p>

"Acacia, would you like to learn how to glamour?" Godric asked her as he sat the woman down on an old wooden crate. Acacia blinked.

"You mean—_now_?" she asked, looking down at the woman with pity. Godric nodded.

"Come closer, my child, and look into her eyes." He instructed without pause. Acacia hurried forward excitedly, her arm brushing against Godric's side as she knelt in front of the woman and caught her gaze. "Clear your mind, Acacia, and look into her eyes. Do you feel that pull?" at Acacia's small nod, he continued, "Good. Pull her mind into your own. Keep her calm, and ask her to do something." Nervous, Acacia took an unnecessary breath and placed her hand on the woman's bony one. In the back of her mind, she heard Isobel shuffling around to get a better view. She must like being there to witness Acacia learning something new.  
>"Everything is fine. You're safe here." Acacia told her, smiling slightly at the woman who had insulted her only moments ago.<br>"Everything's fine. I'm safe." The woman repeated dazedly. Acacia's eyes lit up, the smile gracing her lips growing. Godric and Isobel chuckled at her reaction, Godric laying his hand on Acacia's back lovingly. His touch seemed to give Acacia more courage, and she spoke again.  
>"Tell me why you hate vampires so much." She commanded, careful to keep her voice soothing and calm. She didn't want the human freaking out, after all.<br>"One of them bloodsuckers stole my husband. My baby boy has to grow up without his daddy." The woman's face twisted, and a sour look crossed her dazed face. Acacia frowned, pity swelling up in her. No wonder this poor soul hated her kind so much. One of them had ruined her life.  
>"Calm her again, Acacia." Godric whispered urgently.<br>"Everything's okay now. You're safe with me." Acacia murmured, brushing her fingers along the woman's arm. After a moment's thought, she added, "your son is happy with you." The woman relaxed visibly, falling back under Acacia's complete control.  
>"Tell me your name."<br>"My name's Maria Belle." Godric's hand on Acacia's back lifted until it rested on her shoulder, and Acacia felt him lean forward until his icy breath fell on her neck.  
>"Make her forget she ever saw us tonight. The less specific details, the better." he told her. Acacia nodded, her gaze not leaving Maria Belle's.<p>

"Maria Belle, I want you to forget what you did tonight. You never saw any vampires. You drank too much alcohol and got drunk."

"I never saw any vampires. I got drunk." Maria Belle repeated mechanically.

"I want you to go straight home to your son, Maria Belle." Acacia said.

"I will go home to my son."

"Good, Acacia." Godric murmured in her ear, "Now break the gaze, and let her leave." Acacia did as he told her, standing up and moving to make way for the glamoured vampire-hater. As she did, she felt the strange pull in her mind release until the only thing residing there was her bond with Godric, and her thoughts.

Watching Maria Belle walk away, Acacia almost wished Godric could glamour meeting the woman out of her own mind. She knew that there were many vile, hateful people in the world, especially when concerning vampires, but she'd never actually met one. Maybe she had, though, but she just hadn't noticed because she wasn't on the receiving end of their hatred.

"Even if her husband left her for a vampire, I don't think she should say that she hates vampirism as a whole." Acacia voiced as they, too, left the alley. Godric looked down at her, but said nothing.

Although Acacia was feeling a little better after learning to glamour, she was still pretty upset about what happened. As soon as they got back to the nest, she quickly took her bags from Isobel and Godric, said a quick "thank you", and hid herself away in her room, where she planned to stay for the rest of the night.


End file.
